president obama awarded the medal of honor to retired army staff sergeant clinton romesha for his incredible bravery during one of the most fierce attacks in our nation's longest war. after today's emotional ceremony in the east room, there are now 80 living recipients of our nation's highest award for military valor. our report tonight from our pentagon correspondent, jim miklaszewski. >> reporter: wedged deep into a valley surrounded by soaring mountains, combat outpost keating in eastern afghanistan was a death trap. for staff sergeant clint romesha, it was indefensible. >> every which direction you looked, you were looking straight up at the mountain. >> reporter: romesha and the other soldiers at cop keating were under constant attack. but in october 2009, the taliban launched the most ferocious assault ever. and unleashed a deadly downpour of fire like shooting fish in a barrel. >> 360 degrees, we were taking, you know, rfgs, machine gunfire, mortar fire was coming in. i mean, it was accurate. it was, you know, on target. it was pinning positions down. >> reporter: the americans were v